Sorting machine



April 10, 1928.

W. W. LASKER ET AL SORTING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1925 a .A 1 N r a M 0 CZ N. 6 .P. ,m m a m V a 7. 3 A a m Y W K w April 10, 1792a 1,665,595

. W. LASKER ET AL Somme MACHINE:

Filed: June 30., 1925- a Sheets-311M12 Pea-ma Apr. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. LABKEB, O1 BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND JOHN MUELLER, 01' NORTH BERGEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOBS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO REMINGTON BAND INC., 01' NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

soa'rrno macnmn.

Application filed June 30, 1825. Serial No. 40,604.

following each other in a stack of cards. can be sorted into the same box or receptacle with but one analyzing or selecting operation; to provide a sorting machine wherein master cards and duplicates thereof can be sorted into the same sorting box with but a single analyzingoperation; to rovide means 'in a sorting machine where y the shutters or deflectors which are selectively operated to guide the cards into the card box are held open a predetermined interval in orderthat more than one card can be delivered to the sorting box so opened to receive cards; to provide means for rehdering the analyzing unit of a sorting machine ineffective at predetermined times; to provide means for causing the anal zing unit of a sorting machine to function or analyzing purposes only on every other card passing through, the machine; and to rovide other improvements as will hereina ter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a fragmental vertical section of the card receiving and analyzin end of a sorting machine embodying one orm of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents an end elevation of the same with certain arts broken away for better illustration; 1g. '3

represents an enlarged detail in plan of the analyzing unit shown by way of example;

Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of .Fig. 3. n

Referring to the drawings, one form of the present invention is illustrated in conjunction with a sorting machine of the general type disclosed in the above-mentioned patents and only those parts necessary to a clear understandin of the construction and operation of this invention as here shown.

. So generally considered the machine emmounted on the bodies a magazine 10 in which cards llare stacked and automatically fed a picker 12 and feed rolls 13 and 14 to a registration passage 15. The passage 15 is formed by as the analyzing unit has completed an operation on one card, that card is released and fed out of the passage 15 by feed rolls 18 and delivered to other feed rolls 20 at the threshold of the path leading across a series of boxes 21 to which admisslon is automatically ained by shutters 22 respectively controlled by the mechanism operated by the analyzing unit. One box 21 is shown by way of example with its shutter or card control deflector 22 pivoted upon a rock shaft 23 and normally held inclosed position by a spring 24 fastened to one end while its opposite endis arranged to be lifted into the path of the card and has a deflector 25 for properly guiding the card into its box. The opening of the shutters 22 and the timing thereof is controlled automaticall by mechanism set into operation by the ana yzing unit 17.

In the present instance the mechanism of this invention is applied to an analyzing unit 17 consisting generally of a pin-box composed of end plates 26 connected by a slotted cross strip 27, a stop or support bar I 28, and a pin guide '30 which last is suitably perforated for the free sliding movement of the analyzing pins 31 respectively. The construction will be-understood from a description of one of the pins since all are alike. The upper end of the 'pin 31 is mounted on a pivot 32 which projects laterally from an arm 33 freely mounted for rocking movement on the fixed spindle 34. Also ivot 32 isa detent 35 provided with a hooi; 36'to receive one end of a spring 37, the other end of which is connected to the bar 28, and serves to retract the parts after an analyzing operation. The detent 35 is also'provided with a handle 38 and a latch hook 39, both for purposes with which the present invention is not concerned. To limit the downward movement of the pin 31,

the arm 33 has an extension 40 which seats upon the stop bar 28 when the pin 31 has reached its normal position and is so held by the spring 37. The free end of the arm 33' has a latch recess 41 to be engaged by a spring ressed latch plate 42 whenever an analyzmg operation requires th'e pin 31 to be locked and held against movement, The plate 42 has two hubs 43 mounted for rocking movement upon a shaft 44 which is journalled in the end plates 26 so that it can be actuated by the movement of a rod 45 transmitted through arms 46 fast upon the shaft 44. The rod 45 is in the path of the detent 35 so that when a pin 31 is pushed up during an anaylzing operation its detent will lift the rod 45 to rock the shaft 44. This motion of the shaft 44 is transmitted to the latch plate 42 by a coiled spring 47, one end of which is connected to a bushing 48 fast on the shaft 44 and the other end of which bears against the latch plate 42. As a result the latch plate 42 swings toward the arm 33' and seats in the latch recess 41 to prevent the arm moving upward underthe pressure transmitted through the pins 31. In other words the movement of the pin-box brings the pins into contact with the card and those pins which are not opposite a perforation in the card are forced upwardly and this upward motion is transmitted through the rod 45, arms 46, to rock the shaft 44 and thus swing the latch plate. 42 into engagement with the latch recess 41 of those pins which are opposite to the perforations, and the latter are therefore rigidly held to transmit motion to the respective opposed parts for set' tin g' the sorting mechanism. he analyzing unit is mounted for adustable sllding movement upon and between two guide rods 50 and 51 in order that its pins can be brought into alinement with any desired control row of the card so that the cards can be sorte'd'in accordance with varipart of a frame 52 which has at opposite ends yokes 53 respectively provided with guide hubs 54 which ride upon fixed posts i which projects into position to beenga-ged by a lock' bar 55 of the machine frame. Motion istransmltted to the yokes-53'by suitable cranks 56 connected by veccentric straps 57 with eccentr1 cs 58 upon the main shaft 60 of the machine. Thus the rotation of the main shaft 60 transmits its motion through the cranks 56 and yokes 53'to the analyzing vunit frame 52 and rods 50 and 51 whereby the analyzing unit is vertically reciprocated. towards and' away from-the card in the registration plate,

For the purpose of rendering the analyzing unit ineffective under certa n conditions or at predetermlned times the latch plate 42 III the present dinstance is rearwardly an to one side of the unit and a is normallfy provided with a. laterally d sposed finger 61.

62 which extends parallel to the side of he analyzing unit and has its ends fastened to arms 63 which are both fast to a rock shaft 64 carried by the movable analyzing unit frame: This shaft 64 projects to one side of the machine where it is provided with a rigid arm 65 which carries a lateral extension in the form of a roller 66 which is straddled by the bifurcated end of a lever 67. This lever is pivotedat 68 to a fixed part of the frame and has its operating end provided with a roller 70 which is held by a spring 71 into engagement with a side face cam 72, provided in the present instance with three dwells 73. This cam 72 is mounted upon the Q timing shaft 74 of the. sorting machine and is driven from the main shaft by worm gears 75 and 76 in such ratio that it makes onesixth of a revolution for each revolution of the main shaft, and consequently the lever 67 which controls the means for rendering the analyzing unit ineffective will be o'perated every other time the analyzing unit is reciprocated.

In order to open the sorting box shutters 22 in proper timed relation to the arrival of the card in proper relation to the box which is to receive itthe shutter shaft 23 (the parts and action of but one box are described on account of the duplicate structure) has keyed or otherwise fast thereon an arm 80 having .a laterally projecting extension 81 which is formed with an arc-shaped face 82 which in position to be engaged by anyone 0 a pluralityof triggers 83 which is set. These triggers are respectively pivoted to settable tripping cams 84 and have latching slots 85 to receive pins 86 respectively whereby the triggers 'are latched in inoperative position and when necessary released by the tripping cams 84 to cause operation of the shutter arms 81. The cams 84 are pivotally mounted about the face of a timing disc 87 carried by the timing shaft :7 4, and a cam projection-88 is provided upon each cam 84 to be engaged by certain releasing mechanism set into' actuation by the analyzing operation, as fully described in the above-mentioned patents. The triggers 83 are reset automatically by the provision of fingers 90 which when the trigger is-unlatched travel in a path to intercept a trip lug 91 upon the extension 81., It will thus be evident if for exam Ie the first box has.

been selected by theana yz ing unit to receive a card that one of'the triggers 83 will be movement of the timing disc 87 willbe such that this set trigger engages and lifts the extension .81 to transmit movement to the shutter shaft 23 to. open the shutter just priorv v to the arrival of the card at the entrance to the box and during the time the trigger 83 be held open. In order therefore that more than one card may enter the open box the extension 81 is made sufliciently lon and of a contour concentric to the timing isc.87 so that the trip lug 91 is approximately twice the distance from the fulcrum point of the extension 81 than it would he were but one card to enter thebox. By this construction the trigger holds the extension 81 raised until two cards have entered the sorting box and at that time the trigger 83 strikes the lug 91, is reset, and the extension 81 thereupon drops to automatically allow the shutter 22 to close under the action of its spring 24.

Themachine of the present invention is more particularly adapted for sorting cards which are stacked in duplicate; that is, in the card grouping there is a master card perforated to represent certain individual data and a duplicate card of this master card, all of which are stacked in pairs in superposed relation, and when anysorting of the group is necessary to segregate cards having certain data the analyzing unit is set on the machine to register with the column containing the data for the sorting'control and the card then run successively through the machine. When the first card enters the registration plate the analyzing unit is brought down to analyzing position and at this time the cam 72 is in such a position that the control lever 67 is holding the lock bar 62 away from the analyzing unit latch device, and consequently the pin or pins in alinement-with the perforation in the card are automatically locked against movement due to the upward movement of the remaining pins because of contact with the face of the card. Under this condition there is nothing to prevent the latch plate 42 from swinging into engagement with the latches 41 and consequently the pins are held fast to make the necessary set-up of the sorting mechanism. When however the duplicate card reaches registration position the cam 72 has brought one of its dwells 73 into position to throw thejlever 67 in a direction to bring the lock bar 62 into position to prevent movement of the latch plate extension 61, and consequently when theins engage this 'card there is no locking. 0 an ofthe pins because the latch plate 42 is eld out by thebar 62 and the card then passes on and enters the same box as the one just ahead of it. As already explained this duplicate card enters the same box because the shutter of that box-is still heldup due to the fact that the trigger '83 remains in contact and holding relation with the extension 81 for the required length of time to allow the card to reach and enter the box.

In the foregoing the present invention has been described as applied to a machine for sorting statistical cards but this is only by from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a mechanism of the character'stated, the combination of an analyzing unit, means for operating said unit for analyzing purposes, means to feed perforated cards successively to said unit, and automatic looking means to render said unit ineffective for analyzing purposes when certain of said cards are in analyzing position.

2. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of an analyzing unit, means for-operating said unit for analyzing purposes, means to successively feed cards to said unit, and automatic locking means operative for every othercard to render said unit ineffective for analyzing purposes.

3. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of an analyzing uni-t, means for operating said unit for analyzing purposes, means to feed cards successively to said unit, and automatic locking means whereby said analyzing unit performs one analyzing operation for two cards successively passing said unit.

4. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination'of an analyzing unit, means for operating said unit for analyzing purposes, means to feed statistical cards successively to said unit, said cards consisting of master cards and duplicate cards arranged in alternate relation, and automatic locking means to render said analyzing unit ineffective when each duplicate card is in analyzing position. I p

5. In-a mechanism of the character stated,

the combination of an analyzing unit comprising a reciprocable pin-box provided with a plurality of spring pressed pins arranged to yield when in pressure contact with a card, means for reciprocating said unit, means to feedperforated cards to said unit, a latching device operated by an analyzing operation -to prevent yielding movement of pins alined respectively with card perforations, and automatic'means operable with every other.card to render said latching device inoperative, whereby sald unit is rendered lneffective for analyzing.

7. In a mechanism of the character stated,

the combination of an analyzing unit, means to feed perforated cards successively into operative relation with said unit for analyzing purposes, and automatic locking means periodically operative to render said unit ineffective while said cards continue to feed.

8. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of an analyzing unit, means to feed perforated cards successively into operative relation with said unit for analyzing purposes, and automatic locking means periodically operative to render said unit ineffective for certain predetermined cards in the succession.

9. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of an analyzing unit, means to feed perforated cards successively into operative relation with said unit for analyzmg urposes, a cardreceiving box, a shutter or" eflector for said box, means controlled by said unit for opening said shutter for a card perforated in a predetermined manner, and means for retaining said shutter open until said card and the next succeeding card enter said box.

10. In a mechanism of the character stated,

the combination of an analyzing unit, means to .feed perforated cards successively into operative relation with said unit for analyzing purposes, a sorting mechanism, means controlled by said analyzing unit for selectively operating said sorting mechanism in accor ance with the arrangement of perforations on said cards, and automatic locking means for making one analyzing operation for two successive cards.

11. In a mechanism of the character stated, the combination of an analyzing unit, means to feed perforated cards successively into operative relation with said unit for analyzing purposes, a card receiving box, a shutter or deflector for said box, means controlled by said unit for opening said shutter for a card perforated in a predetermined manner, and a device timed to close said shutter after two cards have entered said box.

12. In a mechanism of the character stated,

the combination of an analyzing unit, means to feed perforated cards successively into operative relation with said unit for analyzing purposes, a card receiving bogga shutter or deflector for said box, means controlled by an analyzing operation for opening said shutter for a card perforated in a predetermined manner, means for rendering said analyzing unit infl'ective when in operative for operating said unit for analyzing purposes, means to feed perforated cards successively to said unit, and means including a timing device for rendering said unit ineffective for analyzing urposes when certain cards are in position or analyzing.

Signed at New York, county of New York, State of New York, this 18th day of June, 1925.,

WILLIAM W., LASKER. JOHN MUELLER.

card, and 

